by Antonia Shoumatoff
The “Family Organ Experience,” as it was billed in the program, was attended by young and old alike, with scores of children sitting in chairs around the esteemed Grace Church organ to listen and learn about “The King of Instruments” from organ virtuoso Michael Hey.
Michael Hey is the Director of Music and Organist for the Marble Collegiate Church and served as the Associate Director of Music and Organist at St. Patrick’s Cathedral from 2015 to 2023. It was there that, during one of his 700 annual services, he became the youngest organist ever to play for Pope Francis.
Hey literally “pulled out all the stops” of the organ, allowing the children to pull out all the buttons on the organ to hear how loud the organ could be, much to their delight. The children were encouraged to ask questions about the organ. No question was considered too simple to be answered. “Learning to play the piano is important if you want to learn how to play the organ.”
Hey literally “pulled out all the stops” of the organ, allowing the children to pull out all the buttons on the organ to hear how loud the organ could be, much to their delight. The children were encouraged to ask questions about the organ. No question was considered too simple to be answered. “Learning to play the piano is important if you want to learn how to play the organ.”
When Hey joyfully played Advent compositions by J.S. Bach, the children listened with rapt attention. The familiar Wachet auf, ruf uns die Stimme, also known as “Sleeper Awakenthe Voice is calling us,” the children sat quietly entranced. Hey also played Louis-Claude Daquin’s Livre de Noël op. 2. Daquin was a musical prodigy and converted from Judaism to Catholicism. His mother was the grandniece of Rabelais, who was a controversial and amusing intellectual of the early sixteenth century.
In between the organ offerings, none of which were longer than three minutes, Hey led the congregation in singing Christmas carols, including “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” and the inevitable “Silent Night.”
The finale of the evening was Richard Purvis’s (1913-1994) fabulous carol “Rhapsody,” which intermingles many of the most well-known carols in a more modern interpretational format.
A good time was had by all as the families trooped afterwards for a spread of hot cider and donuts in the Parish House.
This free music event for children was sponsored by The Millbrook Music Salon, administered by founder Stephen Kaye and Music Director Sophia Zhou.
